S T R U C T U R E S IC L A I R E H I C K S

C O N T E N T S

T E N S I O N

B R I D G E

T E N S I O N

This project develops upon the ideas of tension and compression in their most basic sense. It explores the concepts of equilibrium, load distribution, gravity forces, and lateral stability through the creation of an abstract structural model suspending a one pound cube using only string and wooden rods.

One of the main ideas my partner and I had in mind while making this model was to try to suspend the cube while only allowing it to touch one dowel. We were able to make this possible by having the dowel act as a force pushing the lower edge of the cube outwards while having strings pull the cube inward from the upper opposite edge. The combination of these two forces cancelled each other out, ultimately allowing the cube to remain suspended and stable in a state of static equilibrium.

Process model

[insert sketches + diagrams here]

[I am planning on taking nicer photos with a blank background at a later date]